The Westeros Wing: Meet ‘Game of Thrones’ Real-Life D.C. Counterparts
How do the HBO show’s power players stack up against Capitol Hill’s heroes and villains?


HBO; Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Getty
Sure, Game of Thrones is escapist fare par excellence, an epic fantasy filled with wildlings, White Walkers and deadly wedding receptions. But everyone knows that HBO's hit show is also the best metaphor around for American politics, a curdling cesspool where power-mad sociopaths and double-dealing hacks run the show and anyone with a shred of idealism or integrity is food for dragons — just like on Meet the Press. Sometimes the symmetry between GoT and D.C. is almost uncanny. Here are a few examples.